Crafting a new opportunity

Male embroiderer Zhang Xue has inherited the traditional skills of Suzhou embroidery from his mother, Xue Jindi, and is revitalizing it with modern ideas and more creativity. [Photo provided to China Daily]

"In ancient China, craftsmen attempted to use different materials harmoniously in one object," says Zhang. "So, I also try to combine embroidery with stuff other than decorative paintings."

Besides traditional crafts, Zhang also got interested in contemporary art during his trips to the United States and Europe in 2013.

"At that time, I didn't know how to appreciate contemporary art, but I thought I could get a wider vision and new direction to develop embroidery from contemporary art forms," says Zhang who applied to a postgraduate program at the School of Art at Soochow University in 2014.

Taking his idea of blending embroidery with contemporary art, Zhang has used needles and thread on a wall to create a 3D art installation titled See the Mountains.

Speaking of whether these innovations could blur the traditional features of Suzhou embroidery, Zhang says the past 2,000 years have witnessed the evolution of embroidery, which in itself is change and innovation.

"I do not impose limits on the subjects we choose, the materials we use and the forms we present," says Zhang.

"It's all about passing down the craft at the same time meeting the needs of the market."

'Old' art comes alive

Expanding on the subject, Zhang says that in 2011, when he was helping his mother contact customers, he found some clients who wanted to change the embroidery designs, which was beyond the capacity of the traditional needle workers.